Morning Report Research Articles

“A safe, non-judgmental space where I can really challenge myself:” learner experiences in a virtual, case-based diagnostic reasoning conference for students

ABSTRACT Case-based diagnostic reasoning conferences, like morning reports, allow undergraduate medical trainees to practice diagnostic reasoning alongside senior clinicians. However, trainees have reported discomfort doing so. Peer-assisted learning offers an alternative approach. We describe the design, implementation, and evaluation of a virtual, student-only diagnostic reasoning conference that leverages peer-assisted learning. Student virtual morning report’s (VMR) design was informed by social and cognitive congruence and experience-based learning. We evaluated participant experiences using a survey focused on participant perceptions of Student VMR’s value, their methods for participation, and their preferences for Student VMR compared with VMR with more senior clinicians. 110 participants (28.9%) completed the survey. 90 participants (81.2%) reported that Student VMR was educational. Compared to VMR, participants reported being more likely to participate in Student VMR by turning on their video (50.0%), presenting a case (43.6%), verbally participating (44.5%), or participating in the chat (70.0%). Strengths included a safe learning environment to practice DR and the opportunity to engage with an international learning community. When asked whether they preferred Student VMR or non-Student VMR, most respondents (64.5%, 71/110) identified that they did not have a preference between the two. A student-focused DR conference may offer a valuable complement to, but not a replacement of, apprenticeship-based DR case conferences.

Examining Morning Reports in the Internal Department of Adults (Case Study: Hospital Affiliated to Tabriz University of Medical Sciences)

Examining Morning Reports in the Internal Department of Adults (Case Study: Hospital Affiliated to Tabriz University of Medical Sciences)

A Pilot Longitudinal Clinical Reasoning Curriculum for Pediatric Residents.

Clinical reasoning (CR) is required for physicians. Pediatric residents often gain CR skills through experiential learning. Currently, deliberate education on CR targeted toward pediatric residents is inconsistent. Our objective was to implement a pilot CR curriculum, including five hour-long sessions, and evaluate its impact on self-identified CR Milestones and comfort with CR skills. We used Kern's six steps for curriculum development to develop our curriculum. Five morning report sessions included didactics and small-group activities. Pre/post surveys assessed resident self-identified level on ACGME Milestones related to CR skills (Patient Care 4 [PC4] and Medical Knowledge 2 [MK2]) and comfort with CR skills. The postsurvey assessed resident attitudes toward the sessions. Paired samples for Milestone and comfort-based questions were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Attitude questions were reported with descriptive statistics. Each of the five curricular sessions was attended by 40-50 pediatric residents. Seventy-one trainees (58% of residency) and 51 trainees (42% of residency) completed the pre- and postsurveys, respectively, with 20 paired samples. Self-assessment of PC4 (p = .006) and resident comfort with all measured CR skills increased significantly. Of trainees who attended at least one session (n = 44), most reported finding the sessions helpful (97%), relevant to their clinical work (97%), and impactful on their clinical practice (73%). Following exposure to this CR curriculum, pediatric residents reported increased self-identified competency levels on the evaluated Milestones and improved comfort with CR skills. Dedicated CR education may advance pediatric resident understanding of and comfort with CR.

The Education and Implementation of Clinical Reasoning Education in Post-Graduate Emergency Medicine Training: An Integrative Review

The ability to clinically reason is a necessity for doctors to reduce the possibility of diagnostic error in patients. Emergency medicine doctors work in a highly active, challenging and, at times, cognitively formidable setting that can affect clinical reasoning. This review aims to study the literature on post-graduate training programs and how clinical reasoning education is incorporated. Methods: CINAHL, Embase and Medline were used to obtain relevant literature from 2010 to 2023. A review was undertaken of clinical reasoning curriculums and resources in medical and surgical specialties in Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK, Ireland and Canada. Results: 23 articles were included in the review. Educational themes to teach clinical reasoning were a) simulation b) technological and innovative methods, c) morning report, d) peer teaching, and e) curriculum related. Surgery, General practice, and Internal Medicine colleges appear to have embedded clinical reasoning courses and resources within their curriculum and training. Conclusion: Specialty colleges are recognising the importance of clinical reasoning and have incorporated formal curricula into their training. Teaching can occur at a college, hospital and departmental level using a variety of educational modalities that vary in the resources required and is a possible option for Emergency Medicine training.

Attitude of Students and Professors Toward Quality of Residency Medical Education at the Selected University of Medical Sciences in Tehran in 2023

Background: Clinical education is one of the most essential components of medical student education, as it significantly impacts students' professional futures and the training of healthcare experts. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the quality of clinical teaching from the perspective of residents and professors at selected medical schools in Tehran city. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using the census technique on 81 residents and 48 faculty members from internal medicine, surgery, radiology, anesthesia, and physical medicine in 2023. The data collection instrument was a reliable and valid questionnaire. After gathering the data, SPSS software computed the score for each item and reported it as a percentage. Results: The research findings showed that residents reported morning reports are always held in 94% of the internal medicine group and 60% of the surgical group. Additionally, 80% of the residents and 100% of the professors in the surgery department stated that the group held regular mortality and morbidity meetings. Thirty-three percent of radiology and physical medicine residents mentioned that the hospital amenities are of good quality. The residents of the physical medicine department reported that theory classes are always held 83% of the time. Conclusions: According to the present findings, the quality of education in internal medicine and surgical courses is optimal from the perspective of both professors and students. Periodic studies on the sustainability and improvement of current educational conditions are recommended.

Compliance and response consistency in a lengthy intensive longitudinal data protocol.

Research on real-world patterns of substance use increasingly involves intensive longitudinal data (ILD) collection, requiring long assessment windows. The present study extends limited prior research examining event- and person-level influences on compliance and response consistency by investigating how these behaviors are sustained over time in an ILD study of alcohol and cannabis co-use in college students. Participants (n = 316) completed two 28-day bursts of ILD comprising five daily surveys, which included a morning survey of prior-day drinking. We used linear mixed effects models in a multilevel interrupted time series framework to evaluate the associations of time and measurement burst with (a) noncompliance (count of missed surveys) and (b) response consistency (difference between same-day report of drinking and morning report of prior-day drinking). We observed that time was positively associated with noncompliance, with no discontinuity associated with measurement burst. The slope of time was more positive in the second burst. Neither time nor measurement burst were significantly associated with consistent reporting. However, survey nonresponse and consistency of responding appeared to be impacted by the same-day use of substances. Overall, compliance decreased while consistency was stable across the duration of a lengthy ILD protocol. Shorter assessment windows or adaptive prompting strategies may improve overall study compliance. Further work examining daily burden and context is needed to inform future ILD design. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Global impact of a virtual neurology morning report

The global shortage and inequitable distribution of neurologists has led to significant gaps not only in neurology care, but also in neurology education. In order to increase access to neurology education, we developed neurology virtual morning report (NVMR), a virtual, open-access, case-based clinical reasoning conference available to learners worldwide. To evaluate NVMR's impact on participants' perception of, interest in, and confidence in neurology, we conducted a survey. Respondents represented 25 different countries of various income levels. The majority of respondents reported that NVMR decreased their perception of difficulty in understanding neurology and increased confidence in various clinical reasoning domains in neurology. Additionally, the majority of medical student participants showed an increased interest in pursuing neurology as a future specialty after participating in NVMR. NVMR represents a potential model for virtual educational conferences and highlights the opportunities digital education has to improve equitable access to neurology education.

“Today at morning report…” An ongoing qualitative study of physicians' narratives

“Today at morning report…” An ongoing qualitative study of physicians' narratives

Perceived opportunities of clinical reasoning learning in postgraduate psychiatry training: Trainees' and faculty's perspectives.

Learning clinical reasoning is less effective in isolation of clinical environments because contextual factors are a significant component in the clinical reasoning process. This study investigated the differences in opinions between novice and expert clinicians on learning clinical reasoning in the workplace. The author used a cross-sectional online survey design to investigate the perceived learning of six clinical reasoning skills in 13 learning opportunities. Questionnaires were emailed to 41 postgraduate psychiatry trainee doctors and 37 faculty members. Data were analyzed descriptively. The Chi-square test was used to compare the responses of the two groups. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. The combined response rate was 73.07%. The two groups perceived the learning of advanced clinical reasoning skills to be lower than that of basic skills. There were significant differences in the perceived learning of basic clinical reasoning skills in self-study/exam preparations (P = 0.032), general hospital grand rounds (P = 0.049), and clinical rounds (P = 0.024 for consultant-led rounds and P = 0.038 for senior peer-led rounds). There were also significant differences in the perceived learning of advanced clinical reasoning skills among peer-led tutorials (P = 0.04), journal clubs (P = 0.006), morning reports (P = 0.002), and on-call duties (P = 0.031). The trainees showed a significant preference for structured learning environments rather than clinical environments, especially for advanced clinical reasoning skills. Trainees likely struggled with cognitive overload in clinical environments. Local postgraduate psychiatry programs will likely benefit from implementing multiple educational interventions that facilitate teaching and learning clinical reasoning in complex clinical environments.

A comprehensive study of modified three-month pediatrics training curriculum at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and its impact on student satisfaction

ObjectivesContinuous curriculum improvements reveal the dedication of policy-makers to raising the quality of education and student learning. This study aims to report the impact of curriculum changes to the three-month pediatric course curriculum at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU) on the satisfaction levels of medical students.MethodsOne hundred eighteen 4th-5th years medical students, who had completed their pediatric clinical rotation in SBMU-affiliated teaching hospitals including Mofid Children Hospital, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shohada-e-Tajrish Hospital, and Imam Hossein Hospital from January to December 2022 were included in this cross-sectional study. After obtaining informed consent, a questionnaire was sent out to all participants, that included 27 statements about the impact of the modified curriculum on their satisfaction with their learning and performance. SPSS version 22 was used to analyze the data.ResultsThe level of satisfaction of trainees from attending clinics was 82-56%, prior introduction to the course was about 82%, and attending general hospitals (all hospitals except Mofid Children hospital, which is the only children hospital affiliated to SBMU) was 82-97%. The quality of patients-based learning was reported in terms of attendance at morning report sessions which was 92.3%, attendance at ward rounds, which was 71.8%, and attendance at clinics, which was 62.4%. The satisfaction rate from the senior attending mentor was 96.5%. The satisfaction rate of the pathology course was 67.2%, and the radiology was 82.4%. The satisfaction level of medical students from the infectious disease department was 70% and the gastroenterology department was 83.8%. The level of satisfaction with the implementation of the twelve-week program was 68.7%, with the expressiveness and usability of the presentation of materials was 53.9%, with the compatibility of the exams with the presented materials was 92%, and withholding weekly exams was 86.8%. The satisfaction rate of using the materials presented in the final exam in the digestive department and the infectious department was 85% and 68%, respectively. The overall satisfaction rate of the training course was 76.66%.ConclusionThe results provide vital insights for improving medical education. According to this study, medical student satisfaction with the pediatric curriculum after its recent revisions was in a satisfactory range. Attendance at clinics, information sharing, patient-based learning, practical training, attending mentorship, curriculum clarity, and alignment with student expectations all contributed to participants' high levels of satisfaction.

Event-level risk for negative alcohol consequences in emerging adults: The role of affect, motivation, and context.

Decades of research has found support for the motivational model of alcohol use at the between-person level, yet research on event-level drinking motives is in its nascent stage. Similarly, drinking context has been largely ignored in studies of day-level motives. Therefore, the present study sought to test whether drinking context mediates the relation between affect and motivation on drinking outcomes at both day and person levels. Emerging adults who drank in solitary and social settings (N = 107; 61.2% female) completed 21 days ecological momentary assessments. Affect was assessed during morning/afternoon reports; drinking motives were assessed during afternoon reports; and past-night drinking context, drinking quantity, and negative consequences were assessed during next morning reports. Two-level multilevel structural equation models tested whether within-person and between-person levels of predrinking affect were indirectly associated with negative consequences through predrinking motives, drinking context (social vs. solitary), and drinking quantity. At the day and person levels, positive affect was associated with higher social and enhancement motives. At the day level, positive affect indirectly predicted consequences through social motives, social (vs. solitary) drinking, and drinking quantity, whereas positive affect indirectly predicted consequences through enhancement motives and drinking quantity above and beyond context. At the day and person levels, negative affect was associated with coping motives, but coping was not associated with context, drinking quantity, nor consequences. Findings suggest that positive affect was linked to drinking outcomes through motives (enhancement and social) and contexts (social), whereas negative affect was not. Findings suggest that positively valenced drinking motives may be an important just-in-time intervention target. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A Bluetooth-Based Smartphone App for Detecting Peer Proximity: Protocol for Evaluating Functionality and Validity.

While ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is commonly used to study social contexts and social influence in the real world, EMA almost exclusively relies on participant self-report of present circumstances, including the proximity to influential peers. There is the potential for developing a proximity sensing approach that uses small Bluetooth beacons and smartphone-based detection and data collection to collect information about interactions between individuals passively in real time. This paper aims to describe the methods for evaluating the functionality and validity of a Bluetooth-based beacon and a smartphone app to identify when ≥2 individuals are physically proximal. We will recruit 20 participants aged 18 to 29 years with Android smartphones to complete a 3-week study during which beacon detection and self-report data will be collected using a smartphone app (MEI Research). Using an interviewer-administered social network interview, participants will identify up to 3 peers of the same age who are influential on health behavior (alcohol use in this study). These peers will be asked to carry a Bluetooth beacon (Kontakt asset tag) for the duration of the study; each beacon has a unique ID that, when detected, will be recorded by the app on the participant's phone. Participants will be prompted to respond to EMA surveys (signal-contingent reports) when a peer beacon encounter meets our criteria and randomly 3 times daily (random reports) and every morning (morning reports) to collect information about the presence of peers. In all reports, the individualized list of peers will be presented to participants, followed by questions about peer and participant behavior, including alcohol use. Data from multiple app data sets, including beacon encounter specifications, notification, and app logs, participant EMA self-reports and postparticipation interviews, and peer surveys, will be used to evaluate project goals. We will examine the functionality of the technology, including the stability of the app (eg, app crashes and issues opening the app), beacon-to-app detection (ie, does the app detect proximal beacons?), and beacon encounter notification when encounter criteria are met. The validity of the technology will be defined as the concordance between passive detection of peers via beacon-to-app communication and the participant's EMA report of peer presence. Disagreement between the beacon and self-report data (ie, false negatives and false positives) will be investigated in multiple ways (ie, to determine if the reason was technology-related or participant compliance-related) using encounter data and information collected from participants and peers. Participant recruitment began in February 2023, and enrollment was completed in December 2023. Results will be reported in 2025. This Bluetooth-based technology has important applications and clinical implications for various health behaviors, including the potential for just-in-time adaptive interventions that target high-risk behavior in real time. DERR1-10.2196/50241.

Exploring formal and informal learning opportunities during morning report: a qualitative study

BackgroundMorning reports are an essential component of physicians’ daily work. Attending morning reports is prioritized by junior doctors as it provides them with an opportunity to learn diagnostic reasoning through discussion of cases. While teaching formats during morning reports have previously been reported, an in-depth analysis of what learning opportunities exist, e.g., how teaching is enacted during morning reports, is lacking. This qualitative study explores learning opportunities during morning reports.MethodsWe used an explorative design based on video-recordings of 23 morning reports from two surgical departments, an internal medicine department and an emergency department. We used thematic analysis combined with and inspired by Eraut’s theoretical framework of workplace learning.ResultsBoth formal and informal learning opportunities were identified. Formal learning opportunities had the character of planned teaching activities, and we identified four themes: (1) modes of teaching, (2) structure, (3) presenter role, and (4) participant involvement. Informal learning, on the other hand, was often implicit and reactive, while deliberate learning opportunities were rare. The data showed many missed opportunities for learning.ConclusionBoth formal and informal learning opportunities are present during morning reports. However, a prevalent focus on medical topics exists, leaving other important aspects of the medical role under-discussed. Pedagogical methods could be employed more optimally, and harnessing the potential of missed opportunities should be encouraged.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Clinical Education: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected educational processes and methods. Identifying and sharing educational experiences helps policymaking and educational decision-making and planning to face similar situations at the national and international levels. Objectives: This study aimed to explore medical students' lived experiences about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on their clinical education. Methods: The main question of the research was, “what were the experiences of medical students from training in the clinical environment during the days of COVID-19?” Therefore, this descriptive phenomenological study was conducted at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Mazandaran, Iran, in 2021. The semi-structured virtual interviews were conducted with 18 medical students. Data were analyzed using Colaizz's method. Results: Most participants were female (N = 10), and their average age was 23.71 ± 2.06. The essential experiences were related to three themes and 20 sub-themes. Themes highlighted teaching and learning methods, educational planning and management disruptions, and assessment methods. Virtual teaching and learning included virtual journal clubs, conferences, tumor boards, case reports, morning reports, skill labs, small groups, flipped classroom methods, etc. Disruption in educational planning was mainly observed in rounds and significant rotations. OSCE, logbook, and activity in e-learning were the predominant assessments. Conclusions: Based on the results, three themes were based on medical students’ experiences. According to these themes, COVID-19 was an accelerator for shifting the paradigm in Iran's medical education and students' learning and assessment strategies. Therefore, some departments used COVID-19 as an opportunity and adapted to this shift. However, several departments were disturbed in their planning and management. requiring support and training to face similar situations.

Predicting Completion of Ecological Momentary Assessments Among Substance-Using Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence.

Noncompletion of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) surveys is a common issue and may yield bias in results if not properly handled. Using data observed at scheduled times as well as data retrieved later to fill missing responses, this study aims to investigate predictors of EMA completion, including demographic characteristics, time-related factors, and momentary experiences/behaviors. Data were from a 30-day EMA study including 145 women currently experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) and using substances. The average rate of EMA completion was initially 51.4% at the scheduled times and increased to 72.6% after incorporating data from later-retrieved surveys. Participants who were younger, had more children, or had lower mean levels of negative affect dysregulation showed lower completion rates. At the momentary survey level, more days into the study and afternoon/evening reports (vs. morning reports) were associated with lower completion; lower levels of negative affect dysregulation, less smoking or alcohol use, and experiencing IPV were linked to lower momentary completion. Implications of the results for handling missing data in EMA are discussed and have important ramifications for future research, practice, and theory.

Chief resident behaviors that lead to effective morning reports, a multisite qualitative study

BackgroundMorning report is a fundamental component of internal medicine training and often represents the most significant teaching responsibility of Chief Residents. We sought to define Chief Resident behaviors essential to leading a successful morning report.MethodsIn 2016, we conducted a multi-site qualitative study using key informant interviews of morning report stakeholders. 49 residents, Chief Residents, and faculty from 4 Internal Medicine programs participated. Interviews were analyzed and coded by 3 authors using inductive reasoning and thematic analysis. A preliminary code structure was developed and expanded in an iterative process concurrent with data collection until thematic sufficiency was reached and a final structure was established. This final structure was used to recode all transcripts.ResultsWe identified four themes of Chief Resident behaviors that lead to a successful morning report: report preparation, delivery skills, pedagogical approaches, and faculty participation. Preparation domains include thoughtful case selection, learning objective development, content editing, and report organization. Delivery domains include effective presentation skills, appropriate utilization of technology, and time management. Pedagogical approach domains include learner facilitation techniques that encourage clinical reasoning while nurturing a safe learning environment, as well as innovative teaching strategies. Moderating the involvement of faculty was identified as the final key to morning report effectiveness. Specific behavior examples are provided.ConclusionConsideration of content preparation, delivery, pedagogical approaches, and moderation of faculty participation are key components to Chief Resident-led morning reports. Results from this study could be used to enhance faculty development for Chief Residents.

Are Text Pages an Effective Nudge to Increase Attendance at Internal Medicine Morning Report Conferences? A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

Despite the importance of medical educational conferences, low attendance remains an issue. The utility of reminder text pages as a behavioral nudge to increase attendance is unknown. Our objective was to determine whether reminder text pages increase daily morning report attendance. We conducted a multiple-crossover cluster randomized controlled trial among medical students and internal medicine interns and residents (learners) at the Veteran Affairs Boston Healthcare System during the 2019 to 2020 academic year. During intervention periods, all residents and interns received a text page reminder 5 minutes before the upcoming 8:00 am morning report conference; no page was sent during control periods. The primary outcome was conference attendance 10 minutes after the start of the conference. The study period included 85 morning report conferences, which 211 unique learners were eligible to attend; outcome data were available for 100% of eligible learners. On days when no page was sent, 44.4% of eligible learners attended the conference by 8:10 am ; on days when a reminder page was sent, 49.5% of eligible learners attended (P = .007). Accounting for clustering within individuals and controlling for date and team, the adjusted risk difference in morning report attendance associated with a reminder page was 4.0% (95% CI, 0.5%-7.6%) compared with no reminder page. No effect modification by overnight admissions was detected. Our results suggest that daily reminder pages may result in a small increase in conference attendance. Whether this small increase is educationally significant will vary across training programs that apply this strategy.

Reframing morning report: Cognitive simulation in a safe space.

Various purposes for morning report (MR), in addition to education, have been cited in the literature. Learners can find traditional MR challenging secondary to a perceived lack of psychological safety, the sense that they are being evaluated. Despite the recognition of unsafe learning environments, there is a paucity of literature on how to promote psychological safety in the MR setting. Our aim was to create an MR format utilizing scientifically proven teaching strategies to enhance its educational value. The creation of a safe learning environment was at the forefront of this initiative. Using Kern's six steps of curriculum development, we describe one institution's experience in reframing the morning report experience. We conducted a pilot trial of the new MR with 35 paediatric residents beginning in July 2020 and followed the resident experience over 2years. The primary outcome was attitudinal data as measured via a Likert scale. We found that by the second-year post-curricular implementation, greater than 50% of residents were less hesitant to participate in conference, increased their practice of retrieval and perceived feeling more prepared for examinations as the curriculum progressed. We believe the use of proven teaching strategies based in the cognitive psychology of learning can enhance the quality of education. Furthermore, we believe that central to the success of learning is the perception that the classroom is a safe space to be wrong. This model can serve as a steppingstone for institutions that look to improve their MR series.

PubMed's core clinical journals filter: redesigned for contemporary clinical impact and utility.

The Core Clinical Journals (CCJ) list, produced by the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), has been used by clinicians and librarians for half a century for two main purposes: narrowing a literature search to clinically useful journals and identifying high priority titles for library collections. After documentation of low usage of the existing CCJ, a review was undertaken to assess current validity, followed by an update to current clinical needs. As the subject coverage of the 50-year-old list had never been evaluated, the CCJ committee began its innovative step-wise approach by analyzing the existing subject scope. To determine whether clinical subjects had changed over the last half-century, the committee collected data on journal usage in hospitals and medical facilities, adding journal usage from Morning Report blogs recording the journal article citations used by physicians and residents in response to clinical questions. Patient-driven high-frequency diagnoses and subjects added contextual data by depicting the clinical environment. The analysis identified a total of 80 subjects and selected 241 journals for the updated Clinical Journals filter, based on actual clinical utility of each journal. These data-driven methods created a different framework for evaluating the structure and content of this filter. It is the real-world evidence needed to highlight CCJ clinical impact and push clinically useful journals to first page results. Since the new process resulted in a new product, the name warrants a change from Core Clinical Journals (CCJ) to Clinically Useful Journals (CUJ). Therefore, the redesigned NLM Core Clinical Journals/AIM set from this point forward will be referred to as Clinically Useful Journals (CUJ). The evidence-based process used to reframe evaluation of the clinical impact and utility of biomedical journals is documented in this article.

Detecting and Understanding Social Influence During Drinking Situations: Protocol for a Bluetooth-Based Sensor Feasibility and Acceptability Study.

High-risk alcohol consumption among young adults frequently occurs in the presence of peers who are also drinking. A high-risk drinking situation may consist of particular social network members who have a primary association with drinking. Fine-grained approaches such as ecological momentary assessment (EMA) are growing in popularity for studying real-time social influence, but studies using these approaches exclusively rely on participant self-report. Passive indicators of peer presence using Bluetooth-based technology to detect real-time interactions have the potential to assist in the development of just-in-time interventions. This study seeks to examine the feasibility and acceptability of using a Bluetooth-based sensor and smartphone app to measure social contact in real-world drinking situations. Young adults (N=20) who drink heavily and report social drinking will be recruited from the community to participate in a 3-week EMA study. Using a social network interview, index participants will identify and recruit 3 of their friends to carry a Bluetooth beacon. Participants will complete a series of EMA reports on their own personal Android devices including random reports; morning reports; first-drink reports; and signal-contingent reports, which are triggered following the detection of a beacon carried by a peer participant. EMA will assess alcohol use and characteristics of the social environment, including who is nearby and who is drinking. For items about peer proximity and peer drinking, a customized peer list will be presented to participants. Feedback about the study protocol will be ascertained through weekly contact with both index and peer participants, followed by a qualitative interview at the end of the study. We will examine the feasibility and acceptability of recruitment, enrollment of participants and peers, and retention. Feasibility will be determined using indexes of eligibility, enrollment, and recruitment. Acceptability will be determined through participant enrollment and retention, protocol compliance, and participant-reported measures of acceptability. Feasibility and acceptability for peer participants will be informed by enrollment rates, latency to enrollment, compliance with carrying the beacon, and self-reported reasons for compliance or noncompliance with beacon procedures. Finally, EMA data about peer proximity and peer drinking will support the validity of the peer selection process. Participant recruitment began in February 2023, and enrollment was completed in December 2023. Results will be reported in 2025. The protocol allows us to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a Bluetooth-based sensor for the detection of social contact between index participants and their friends, including social interactions during real-world drinking situations. Data from this study will inform just-in-time adaptive interventions seeking to address drinking in the natural environment by providing personalized feedback about a high-risk social context and alerting an individual that they are in a potentially unsafe situation. DERR1-10.2196/50650.